"I'm committed to a long career": Justin Bieber, 16, was discovered through YouTube videos his mom posted.

But wait. Who's that darting down a path, howling at the moon?

"Woohoo!" yells Justin Bieber, just another 16-year-old powered by a cocktail of energy and testosterone. But there's another ingredient. Freedom. For this is one kid who can't run rampant down the streets of any town, in any country, anymore.

"People think that being famous is easy, but there's so much hard work in it," says Bieber, fidgeting in his chair inside a large studio conference room. "Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets. I'm able to do so much that a lot of people aren't able to do. But I'm also taken away from a lot of stuff. I won't be able to go to my prom. But you sacrifice. And I'm committed to a long career."

To be sure, the movie's main job is to reinforce the hype and hagiography associated with Bieber, the planet's first Internet-made pop superstar. (The haiku version of JB's tale, for the two or three out of 6 billion souls who haven't heard it: Bieber grows up singing and drumming in Stratford, Ontario. Mom videotapes, then posts to YouTube. Talent manager Scooter Braun finds him. Usher anoints him. About a year later: 20 million Facebook followers, 7 million Twitter fans and untold millions in the bank.)

But, tellingly, Never Say Never also addresses two questions that haunt every teen idol hoping to find stardom in adulthood: Is there real talent behind the dizzying packaging, and is the inner circle supportive and selfless? Bieber's score: yes, and so far.

The first of these is addressed by a series of homemade videos that showcase a very young Bieber. We see a toddler drumming on chairs with uncanny rhythm. A grade-schooler busking, guitar in hand, on the steps of a local theater. In a foreshadowing of Beibermania, passersby predicting future stardom.

Beliebers may adore the cute face, trendy haircut and dreamy vocals, but strip that away, and the kid can still wow a crowd.

Career vs. craziness

The attitude of his inner circle is encapsulated by a conveniently dramatic sequence in Never Say Never. A hoarse Bieber wants the show to go on, but his vocal coach, Jan Smith — whom he calls Mama Jan — echoes the entourage's conviction that he must cancel the tour date. Sane adults prevail; turbo-charged teen is reminded who's boss.

"I really didn't know much about Justin, but after spending time with him, I saw a boy with an old soul and great abilities who just needs to choose whether or not to be carried away by the craziness," says the movie's director, Jon Chu, best known for the dance-oriented Step Up movies. "I see this movie as the first in a trilogy. Let's see where he goes from here."

How about, everywhere.

Bieber already is a rare ray on the typically gloomy music industry horizon, and is up for two Grammy Awards on Feb. 13. He also has climbed the book charts with his what-I've-accomplished-so-far autobiography, First Step 2 Forever: My Story.

Bieber will battle Ozzy Osbourne in a superhero-themed Best Buy ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday. He'll make another appearance on TV's hit CSI Feb. 17, playing against type as psychopath Jason McCann. And now add wanting to film a comedy with Will Ferrell.

"We're getting a lot of scripts, yeah, but I really want to work with Will, and I think I'm a funny guy," says Bieber, dressed in black jeans and a black shirt with Mickey Mouse on the front, a dog tag-looking David Yurman pendant hanging from his slight neck.

His left hand — the dominant one — incessantly flips the lid of a Vitamin Water bottle. No soft drinks for this kid, by orders of his mother, Pattie Mallette.

Bieber cracks himself up, recalling a time when he had to follow Ferrell down a red carpet: "Will went on Letterman that night and said, 'With all the screaming, it was like Jesus was following me.' He's too much."

Too much is precisely what Bieber may want to watch out for, says Peter Sealey, adjunct professor of marketing at Claremont (Calif.) Graduate University and former marketing chief at Columbia Pictures and Coca-Cola.

"It's hard to tell where he'll be at 22, but typically, slow and incremental career growth is better than fast and furious," says Sealey. "The greatest danger Bieber faces is overexposure. He's hot, young and good-looking. The entertainment machine could easily suck him in and burn him down in a few years if he and his people aren't careful."

Veteran rock journalist Lisa Robinson, who wrote Vanity Fair's current cover story on the teen sensation, says Bieber "appears to have a strong awareness of the possible pitfalls of stardom, and he wants to grow both musically and in his acting. To me, he seems more multitalented than most former teen idols."

Robinson says long careers are byproducts of luck, talent and timing, but Bieber's ahead of the game, thanks to his associations with established music stars. "Teaming up with Usher and having his songs remixed by Kanye West and Lil Wayne puts him in a different, and more legitimate, category," she says.

'The next Michael Jackson'?

In fact, Bieber's own aspirations are even loftier than those well-known names, says Peter Debruge, features editor at Variety, who was in Team Bieber's orbit while putting together an event honoring charity-minded young performers.

"The way his camp sees it, he could be the next Michael Jackson," Debruge says. "I sense they're testing the waters everywhere with a long haul in mind. Just like Michael, Justin started young and has the goods, so that's the target."

JB confirms the MJ obsession — though clearly from the perspective of someone who wasn't even alive during Jackson's 1993 child molestation scandal.

"Michael was so amazing," Bieber says. "He worked so hard and knew how to manage his career. He's someone I look up to."

But what about Jackson's demons? "Well, I understand he was surrounded by yes men," Bieber says softly. He thinks about this a moment, then offers an unusually lengthy response.

"For me, it's about having people who will help shape who you are and help you grow and be a good person. Some people hit 18 and just want to grow up too quickly. I'm not worried about a Lindsay Lohan situation — you know, getting into drugs because there's no one to guide you.

"I have good people around me who treat me not like I'm Justin Bieber, and whatever I say goes," he says. "I have my mom."

The mom factor

Mallette, 34, is as important to Bieber as she is elusive to journalists. She declined to comment for this story. Albert Lee, who oversaw Us Weekly's special Bieber book-azine, says his reporters got access to everyone but Mallette.

"She could easily be a Dina Lohan and grab the spotlight, but she seems to be the opposite," says deputy editor Lee. "Think about it. Justin's a teenager living mostly on a tour bus with his mom. That could be a nightmare. But instead, you get the sense that he is surrounded by people who have his back."

Bieber says his mother is "just like any other great mom, she wants to love on me and stuff. But now that this is really happening, I hope she gets to do some things of her own. I know she really cares about kids, and she'd love to start some group homes. I mean, she's got dreams, too."

She may well. But for right now, Mallette and company are focused on their golden child. Who, incidentally, doesn't seem worried at all.

"I'm not concerned with my career having a time bomb," Bieber says. "I love music and can do this for a long time. I think I'll make a smooth transition from a teen star to an adult star. I don't want to grow up too quickly and do anything that's not smart."

That means a Bieber-mandated one day a week off, no exceptions. "I've set the standard, and I get that day to just be me and do regular stuff like hanging out with my friends, resting, watching movies, playing basketball. Stuff to keep me sane."

And what about the truly insane stuff, like the fact that he's adored by girls everywhere?

"Aw, well, a lot of them are just fans of my music, and that's really cool," he says, shrugging. "But I want a girl to like me for me."

Girls, start taking notes.

"She doesn't have to have not heard of me or anything. But she has to be down-to-earth. I could date a fan, but not a fan who's like, 'Oh my gosh, you're so amazing.' I mean, people probably see me as Justin Bieber, this superstar kid, but at the end of the day, I'm just a regular kid."

In many ways, like running around the vacant streets of this lot like a loon, Bieber is just that. A regular teen. Then again ...

"Hey, it was great to talk to you," he says, rejecting a hand and offering a bear hug. "I gotta run to do another thing. Did I tell you I'm going to be on the cover of Rolling Stone?"

Well, of course he is. It's Bieber's moment, after all. And while some may wager that it won't last long, the man in the middle of the maelstrom will take that bet.

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